The Bachelor: Where Are They Now?

We're truly amazed by what these celebrities are able to accomplish in 140 characters or less. If you join Twitter and only follow them, you'll likely never be disappointed. If only the rest of the Twitterverse was as entertaining.
1. Mindy Kaling
My favorite kind of music? R&amp;B music where the guys voice is so high you're surprised when he explains he's a horny bachelor
— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) March 20, 2015
She tweets behind the scenes information about The Mindy Project, posts updates on her latest fashion choices, shamelessly discusses hot guys...Basically it's everything we'd want to read.
2. Retta
"Did you get rid of fake ass Lena Horne?" I couldn't love Cookie more if she birthed me then gave me a lung. #QuickWithTheQuips #Empire
— Retta (@unfoRETTAble) March 3, 2015
This Parks &amp; Recreation actress is QUEEN of live-tweeting TV shows. She's probably the only person who binge-watches more than us.
3. Jenny Slate
Just bought some yoga pants that are described as "high waist, loose fit" so I guess what I'm going for is "sex isn't important to me"
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) March 19, 2015
We've told you about her Twitter brilliance before, but just in case you forgot, she's awesome.
4. Jennette McCurdy
I can't stop eating my feelings. My feelings are pizza.
— Jennette McCurdy (@jennettemccurdy) March 8, 2015
This former iCarly actress is surprisingly witty and self-deprecating.
5. Billy Eichner
Just a little update guys: I'm currently at a secret location with Zayn. We're eating Nutella and watching Love Actually &amp; WE'RE BOTH FINE!
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) March 26, 2015
We love when the Billy on the Street comedian randomly tweets at celebrities. It's even more hilarious when they actually respond.
6. Molly McNearney
Old couples would have a lot more to talk about over dinner in restaurants if someone would just show them how to use Netflix.
— Molly McNearney (@mollymcnearney) March 18, 2015
Can we be BFFs with Jimmy Kimmel's wife? Her spot-on observations about life are what make Twitter worth it.
7. Maisie Williams
Am I a bad person if I squirt cheese in a can on top of my mac &amp; cheese?
— Maisie Williams (@Maisie_Williams) March 16, 2015
This pint-sized Game of Thrones actress is super fierce and funny on Twitter. We think Arya would approve. Plus, we love seeing that she's BFFs with Sophie Turner in real life.
8. Anna Kendrick
Delia*s is no longer?? Never have I spent more time pouring over catalogues full of ringer tees and wedge flip flops I couldn't afford. #RIP
— Anna Kendrick (@AnnaKendrick47) March 11, 2015
We've also heaped praise on Anna's Twitter skills in a previous article. But really, she's the best. And she understands our sadness over Delia*s closing.
9. Lorde
weird thing about being a singer: i can ALWAYS hear if an actor on a tv show has a cold
— Lorde (@lordemusic) February 17, 2015
Lorde is definitely living a cooler life than you. But she tweets about it in such a down-to-earth way.
10. Taylor Swift
Omigod. 'Style' just went NUMBER ONE at pop radio. Thanks for 3 in a row, guys. This is unreal.
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) March 17, 2015
She still acts surprised when her music is successful and she still fangirls over other artists. Bonus points for all the tweets involving her cats.
11. Mae Whitman
get ready to not see me in anything but jean shorts from now til approx mid october
— mae margaret whitman (@maebirdwing) March 21, 2015
If you're going through Parenthood withdrawals, just follow Mae on Twitter and know that all will be ok.
12. Kumail Nanjiani
Zayn Malik left One Direction! Oh no! He has nothing left now except living the rest of his days as the most beautiful man on earth.
— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) March 25, 2015
If you don't know this Silicon Valley comedian, get acquainted. He's one of the funniest dudes on Twitter. He also apparently hearts Zayn.
13. B.J. Novak
An app that tells you when The Mindy Project has wrapped by calculating when your texts from @mindykaling have increased by a factor of 1000
— B.J. Novak (@bjnovak) March 6, 2015
Mainly for his banter with Mindy Kaling. Because we still 'ship them.
14. Lena Dunham
Til yesterday I thought"on fleek"meant very crazy.Like"she murdered her last five husbands,hid their bodies in the swamp,bitch is ON FLEEK!"
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) March 14, 2015
No matter what you thought of this season of Girls, Lena is still one of the most consistently entertaining tweeters around.
15. Olivia Wilde
Phone dying in a car without a charger is the equivalent of drifting alone into the middle of the ocean on a tiny raft made of cardboard.
— olivia wilde (@oliviawilde) March 14, 2015
Olivia knows what's up. We love her insights.
Who's YOUR favorite celeb to follow on Twitter? Tell us by following us on - where else? - Twitter!
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Actress Jessica Chastain has dropped a bombshell - she was a high school drop out before a scholarship funded by the late Robin Williams landed her a place at top arts college Juilliard.
The Interstellar star recently revealed Williams' generosity changed her life, making it possible for her to graduate college. But years before she picked up a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2003 and became a part of the school's fabled Group 32, she was a lazy student with very few goals.
Chastain tells Entertainment Weekly, "Nobody knows this about me, I dropped out of high school. I was not a hard worker. I was a terrible student. Eventually I got my adult diploma, but I did not graduate. And it wasn’t that I just dropped out and never went back - at the end of the year I had too many absences to graduate... I would cut school and sit in my car, reading Shakespeare."
Chastain admitted that because of her lack of interest in regular school subjects, it led her to believe she wasn't smart, so now she urges youngsters in similar positions to pursue their passion in order to achieve excellence.
She continued, "I thought that I wasn't an intelligent person because I did so poorly. There are kids out there that aren't doing well in school and I hope they never think it means they're stupid. It's all about finding where your interest lies and finding what you're good at." Chastain later attended the prestigious Juilliard drama school thanks to a scholarship from the late Robin Williams, and has since gone on to earn two Oscar nominations for 2012's Zero Dark Thirty and 2011's The Help.
Last year (14) she told U.S. news show Entertainment Tonight, "We didn't have a lot of money, and Juilliard is a pretty expensive school. Robin Williams is a very generous Juilliard alumnus, and gives a scholarship every two years to a student, and it pays for everything, and I got it." Unfortunately for Chastain she never got the chance to thank Williams personally before his untimely death last year (14).

Darren Criss is more than just that guy from Glee. While you probably recognize him from his role as Blaine Anderson on the musical TV series, you might not know much about the actor/singer/songwriter himself. His fans know him as a charming guy who loves Disney and Harry Potter, who's talented but still incredibly gracious about his success. Basically, he's your next celebrity crush. Get ready to fall in love with him (if you haven't already).
1. He's smart.
http://deflying.tumblr.com
Darren graduated from the University of Michigan in 2009 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance. While at college, he co-founded the theater company StarKid Productions with his friends.
2. He has school spirit.
Sweaty and reppin @umich after my first dance rehearsal of our final season of #glee #GleeSeason6 pic.twitter.com/AwfHHPL1JT
— Darren Criss (@DarrenCriss) September 8, 2014
He returned to his alma mater for a pep rally in 2013 and expressed how much he loved his time at Michigan. (I was there. It was awesome).
3. He’s a Harry Potter nerd.
darrencrissnews.tumblr.com
He starred as Harry Potter in StarKid’s A Very Potter Musical and its sequels, and helped write the music and lyrics for the shows as well.
4. He's a goofball.
waltzy.tumblr.com
5. He doesn't take himself too seriously.
http://michaelwormwood.tumblr.com
6. He cheers on his friends.
Hey StarKid fans! Last chance to check out @teamstarkid's #STARKIDSUMMER shows @Stage773. Happy closing weekend to #ANI and #TrailToOregon !
— Darren Criss (@DarrenCriss) August 9, 2014
Darren still attends StarKid shows even though his schedule is too busy for him to perform in them.
7. He supports other artists and their work as well.
How is @WALKTHEMOONband not one of the biggest bands in the world? #ShutUpAndDance should be a #1 single right now. http://t.co/BLdD5HS1WK
— Darren Criss (@DarrenCriss) October 16, 2014
8. He works with charitable causes.
http://everett-darren.tumblr.com
He's involved with Musicians on Call, which brings musicians into hospitals to perform for patients. He also helped raise relief funds for the Phillippines after Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.
9. He covers Disney songs.
Hearing him sing "Part of Your World" will make your day.
10. He likes to dance.
http://fxckedupholiday.tumblr.com
11. He's stylish.
http://tyrells.tumblr.com
12. He rocks pink sunglasses like no other.
http://thesoundofnat.tumblr.com
They are kind of his signature.
13. He truly appreciates his fans.
http://obriedylan.tumblr.com
14. Even his littlest of fans.
http://maewhitwoman.tumblr.com/
15. He loves his family.
http://fee-bee.tumblr.com
16. He writes his own songs.
http://falaheesouza.tumblr.com
In the summer of 2013, he went on tour to preview some of his new solo material. He's currently working on an album.
17. He's humble.
http://diablodancer.tumblr.com/
18. He has an amazing smile.
darren-criss.tumblr.com
I mean, come on. He's pretty much perfect.
http://crissteiths.tumblr.com
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Drafthouse Films via Everett Collection
Wealthy bachelor Colin lives in Paris, where his hobbies include developing his pianocktail (a cocktail-making piano) and devouring otherworldly dishes prepared by his trusty chef Nicolas. When Colin learns that his best friend Chick, a fellow acolyte of the philosopher Jean-Sol Partre, has a new American girlfriend, our lonely hero attends a friend's party in hopes of falling in love himself. He soon meets Chloé, and before they know it they're dancing to Duke Ellington and plunging headfirst into a rapturous romance. But their whirlwind courtship is tested when an unusual illness plagues Chloe a flower begins to grow in her lungs. To save her, Colin discovers the only cure is to surround Chloe with a never-ending supply of fresh flowers.
Mood Indigo is now playing in select theaters, but you can win a signed poster of the movie by simply entering our giveaway! Winning is as easy as:
1. Follow @Hollywood_com starting July 17, 2014.
2. Retweet:
RT &amp; Follow for a chance to win a poster signed by Audrey Tautou &amp; Michel Gondry! #MoodIndigoGiveaway http://t.co/I0vr9MzH8t
— Hollywood.com (@Hollywood_com) July 25, 2014
Drafthouse Films

Warner Bros. Entertainment Everett Collection
Whether you loved the way it neatly wrapped things up or hated the cheesy fairy tale ending it gave the series, the epilogue to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has been, for the most part, the only real glimpse that fans got at the lives of Harry, Ron, and Hermione after their time at Hogwarts concluded. Though many have been able to get their fix of the Wizarding World through the snippets that J.K. Rowling has posted on Pottermore, she's been silent on the fate of the Golden Trio and the rest of Dumbledore's Army... until Tuesday morning, that is. In honor of the Quidditch World Cup — which conveniently coincides with the muggle world's World Cup — the author has released a series of short stories and mock articles about the game, its history, and now its famous spectators.
But while the always reliable Rita Skeeter has filled us in on what Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny have been up to in the years since school (working as an Auror, helping George run Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, working up the ranks in the Ministry, and becoming a Quidditch reporter, respectively), there are still so many more characters whose fates were not addressed. In fact, Rita's article brings up more questions than answers, since everything it reveals leaves us wanting to know more about the Wizarding World. On the off chance that Rowling is looking for inspiration for another Pottermore update, we'd recommend she start by tackling some of these burning questions:
Where’s Draco Malfoy? We don’t expect Draco to be hanging out with Dumbledore’s Army any more now than he did when they were all at Hogwarts, but does Rowling really expect us to believe that he would pass up any opportunity to swan around a VIP area and brag about his success, real or exaggerated? Surely, if everyone were gathering at the World Cup, he would be there, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle and ready to start a fight, just as he always was. Draco Malfoy never shies away from a potential spotlight.
Did Lee Jordan Ever Make It as a Quidditch Announcer? Perhaps the greatest sports announcers – real or fictional – of all time, Lee Jordan had a gift for adding color and sass to even the most boring of calls, and even if Professor McGonagall didn’t appreciate his admittedly biased reporting, readers certainly did. It’s hard to imagine a career that suits the Weasley twins’ former partner-in-crime better.
How Does Rita Have Trouble Telling the Weasley Boys Apart? They might all have red hair, freckles and hand-me-down clothes, but all of the Weasley boys are distinct entities, and if she’s already got Ron and Bill down, it shouldn’t be too difficult for her to figure out the other three. Here’s a cheat sheet: if he looks self-important, slightly nerdy, and wears glasses, it’s Percy; if he’s ruggedly handsome and desert-worn, it’s Charlie, and if he has one ear, is constantly joking around and seems like there should be another one of him standing right there, it’s George.
Has Luna Mellowed Out Since School? Rita seems intrigued by Luna’s World Cup outfit, but we’re a little disappointed by it. What happened to the elaborate roaring lion’s head she broke out for a Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match in the sixth book? Where are her radish earrings or her Spectrespecs or her colorful shoes? This is the tamest Luna costume we’ve seen, and it makes us a bit worried that she’s lost some of her unique, spacey edge.
What Did Hannah Abbott Do Before She Married Neville? The epilogue revealed a bit about what the other potential Boy Who Lived has been up to since school has ended, but we know next to nothing about the new Mrs. Longbottom. What were her school years like? What did she get her OWLs in? How did she and Neville meet and fall in love? How long have they been married? What did she do for work before deciding to become a Healer and move to Hogwarts with Neville? Forget the Marauders; we want to hear a lot more about Neville and Hannah.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Everett Collection
Where’s Angelina Johnson? There’s no way that the former Gryffindor Captain would let her husband George Weasley attend the Quidditch World Cup without her. After all, this is the one person who was as obsessed with the sport as Oliver Wood, who captained the team with a drive and determination that would have made even her predecessor request a day off. The only possibly explanation, therefore, is that she’s a Chaser on the English National Team and was getting ready for the match at the time Rita observed her friends.
Is Hagrid Still Working at Hogwarts? That mention of Neville and Hannah hoping to move to the school’s grounds reminded us of the only non-dormitory living quarters we’ve seen: Hagrid’s hut. So, naturally, we’re curious as to what the Wizarding World’s foremost foster parent to dangerous animals is up to now. Is he still working as the Keeper of the Keys and Grounds? Did he and Madame Maxime ever manage to work things out? Did he ever get his pet dragon? For the sake of everyone else on the Hogwarts grounds, we’re hoping the answer to that last one is still “no.”
Is Professor McGonagall Still Headmaster? She was, after all, the natural successor to Dumbledore. And more importantly, is she still the toughest, kindest, smartest, most sensible and admirable woman in the Wizarding World? Actually, we can just answer that one ourselves. She definitely is.
Who’s the Current Minister of Magic? We know that the Department of Magical Transportation falls under Percy’s jurisdiction, and that Hermione is, as expected, quickly working her way up the ranks at the Ministry, and is currently the Deputy Head of Magical Law Enforcement. But what we don’t know is who Hermione would potentially be outsing as Minister of Magic, should she ascend to the position. Last we heard, it was Kingsley Shacklebolt, but knowing the Wizarding World as well as we do, it’s entirely possible that power has changed hands since then.
Who Is Still Hiring Rita Skeeter as a Writer? Was the Daily Prophet so desperate for subscriptions that they kept her on? Or does the Wizarding World have its own version of TMZ, where Rita can write and publish all of the gossip her QuickQuotesQuill can possibly come up with? Is there a publication out there that could keep up with the sheer number of slander lawsuits she’s probably had filed against her?
Charlie Weasley Is Basically the Wizarding World’s Equivalent of George Clooney, Right? Handsome bachelor, more focused on his glamorous job than his love life, unlikely to settle down any time soon, but making people swoon everywhere he goes? All Charlie needs is a villa in Italy, and they’d be the exact same person.
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Tribeca Film
One of Tribeca Film Festival 2014's more lighthearted pieces is The Bachelor Weekend — titled The Stag in Ireland, its country of origin — a comedy about a collection of "modern men" who take to the countryside for the main character Finoon's (Hugh O'Conor) bachelor party, only to clash with an unwanted tag-along oozing alpha male bravado: Finoon's future brother-in-law, known only as "the Machine" (Peter McDonald, who also co-wrote the film).
Whereas many a comedy film in the "one last hoorah" genre would go for big, broad laughs and wacky antics at the expense of the plot and characters, director John Butler's Bachelor Weekend instead uses its fun premise to explore the nature of the folks at the center — a collection of guys that Butler and McDonald affirm are based on their friends. This kind of friendship is vivid from the way that they and O'Conor all riff on one another, managing to cover situations as grave as the evolution of masculinity over the course of the last 50 years and the national psyche of present day Ireland all the while cracking a few jokes about O'Conor jumping out a window.
My chat with Butler, McDonald, and O'Conor does contain a few major spoilers for The Bachelor Weekend, so be warned. But those who have seen the film, and who are hankering for a quick insight into the human ego, that breed of really bad bachlor parties, and director Butler's mid-morning hallucinations, enjoy.
We’ve got a whole line of bachelor party movies in America — I’m sure you guys have seen plenty of them. A lot of them are very funny, but I was pleasantly surprised by how different Bachelor Weekend is in a lot of ways. Were you trying to bring something new to the genre specifically?
John Butler: Definitely. We like those films. Some of them are fantastic. One of the things that we thought we might like to try with our film was to create a real investment in the heart of the story, so that you really care for the characters and the emotional arc wasn’t tacked on to serve the jokes. We wanted to write it inside out so that you really felt for these people, while also serving up to jokes that worked. So that was important to us, I think. A comedy film with heart. The films that we might have mentioned in relation to that in the course of writing it would be things like Sideways, or…
Peter McDonald: Diner.
JB: … Diner, or Swingers. You know, films that don’t shortchange you emotionally but still serve up good jokes. So that was part of the inspiration.
PM: It was kind of sitting there waiting for someone to make it. So many films around the event of the wedding have been made. If not the wedding itself, it’s the bridesmaids, or the guys, or whatever. And we love those films, they’re really funny. And they are bigger films. So in that marketplace, it’s a comedy film, [snaps] we need 20 gags, so that’s what they’re going to make. So that’s totally understandable. But so many people go on stags! This is something that they can relate to, so why not have a film that has the comedy but also has the investment in the characters?
JB: We don’t know any of those "bros" that go on and devour stag weekends. That’s not really a familiar type to us. It’s more interesting to write about real guys who go on stags for reasons out of their control. Pushed out of their comfort zones. Not the guys who really love it, the kind of spring breaky types.
PM: Lots of guys go on stags just because that’s what you do. It’s just a ritual that everyone engages in. So [we wanted] to have a look at what place that ritual has in relation to guys and masculinity. Because The Machine is so different from the other guys, that no-man’s-land there is an interesting area.
JB: You show up on those stags, you’re not going to want to be drinking Jäger bombs with 20 strange men in four hours’ time. It’s such a surreal…
Hugh O’Conor: When you go to the West of Ireland a bit, it’s always that kind of — which is lovely! — but you’re away from what you’re used to…
PM: You get up the morning after the first night, and you’re like, “I have to hang out with these guys again?”
JB: And I have to drink!
HO: Yeah, the drinking…
PM: Then you show up to the wedding, and you’re like, “You’re such a tool. I’ve experienced you, and you’re the worst person.”
You’ve seen their true colors.
[Everybody “yeah”s]
JB: Have you been on many stags?
No, I’m going on my first one in a couple of weeks, actually.
JB: What’s the deal? What’s the setup?
It’s a high school friend of mine. These guys are probably more along the lines of the Machine than the other guys.
PM: Hookers and blow.
[Everybody laughs]
I’m more of a Finoon, so I’ll be reading in the back room.
JB: Team Finoon!
[More laughter]
Yeah, we’re going down to the Dominican Republic.
JB: Oh nice!
PM: All right! DR! That sounds like fun.
Yeah. I’m sure it will be.
PM: That sounds a lot more fun.
HO: That actually sounds good!
PM: I’ve got to say, though, I’ve had some killer times on stags.
Oh yeah?
PM: Absolutely. I’ve had some really great times with my best friends on their stags.
HO: Not yours.
[Laughter]
PM: So I think it’s also a celebration of that. And, if anything, [the movie] says stags are a good idea because they all get something out of the weekend. That’s the genre it’s in. It’s not going to have a downbeat ending, this story.
HO: There is that line you have in the scene with the campfire where you say, “You couldn’t put a price on this.” And you kind of go, “Wow, they did get there.”
PM: They did get there!
HO: It’s nice that they got there. Despite everything.
[“Yeah”s all around]
JB: Every experience, obviously, has value. It’s just that sometimes they’re set up the wrong way. You know what I mean? Sometimes the approach is wrong. Definitely it’s great going away with some friends. There can be great stuff in it. But the bad ones are bad…
Tribeca Film
I like that you bring up masculinity. It’s a very clear theme in this movie. You have the wedding planner in the movie challenging Finoon’s masculinity, then the idea of his father disapproving of Finoon’s brother Kevin and his boyfriend [played by Michael Legge and Andrew Bennett, respectively]. Did you approach this movie wanting to discuss masculinity, or did it come about organically?
JB: We wanted to write about people that we knew, so it started with the characters. And then, obviously, the themes start to emerge from that. In our case, if we started to write about the men that we know, and put them in the context of the story, those themes start to emerge. Because what the masculine ideal these days?
Certain traits that we might consider, traditionally, to be feminine — being in touch with your emotions, and crying — that’s a form of strength! And that’s something, maybe, that modern masculinity is supposed to embody. So yeah, it was fun to play around with that stuff, but we always approached it from the point of view of the characters.
[Peter receives a glass of milk]
PM: Kumbaya!
JB: We need milk and cookies every half an hour.
PM: I’m a cookie monster! Milk, cookies…
JB: [Pointing to the corner of the room] Did you see something move there?
I don't think so.
JB: I saw something move there, I thought I saw something move there…
PM: John drinks a lot of alcohol.
[Laughter]
PM: By this time of the morning, he will start to see things.
JB: I genuinely thought I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I just realized…
PM: He’s got the heebie-jeebies!
[Laughter continues]
PM: … and an epic hangover.
JB: But no, we definitely don’t go, “What’s the theme?” and then try and write a film. It’s, “Who are the people?” And then we take it from there.
PM: Yeah. And there’s something about [the question], “What is it to be a man?” Any rational person knows — especially now, seeing the changes in the last 50 years for masculinity and men — that question has no meaning whatsoever. It’s always changing. But it’s interesting when you have such changes in masculinity over the last 50 years but, yet, our idea of what it meant to be a man in the ‘50s and ‘60s is still present to us in our generation
So when you have a bunch of modern men engaging in a ritual that they’re very halfhearted about, and on that ritual a guy turns up who is like, “I’m a f**kin’ man!” Like, “I know exactly that I’m…” It’s not even a question for him. He’s so the opposite to them. And he’s almost oblivious to how awkward he can be. He’s just one of those people. So it busts it open for the other guys in terms of their identity.
They’re guys who, in their initial exchange with The Machine, if they were to rewind and replay it, they’d just go, “Look… whatever your real name is. This isn’t gonna happen!” Do you know what I mean? But we know that when you’re with somebody that’s that intense you don’t say the things that you actually want to say. You’re kind of like, “I… I guess… yeah… okay, I’ll have another drink.” Do you know what I mean?
You’re ripped out of your element.
PM: You’re ripped out of your own thing! And the one thing he does immediately when he arrives on the scene, he totally splits them as a group. They’re immediately infighting and backstabbing each other, and saying, “I’m going to go home,” and blah blah blah. It’s the cat amongst the pigeons of masculinity. But we didn’t know that that’s what we were sitting down to write. It was only as we explored the characters…
HO: I suppose, as well, that you can still be a more modern man, like our characters are — me, [Andrew Scott's character] Davin — you can be more in touch with your feelings and be open and talk about things and still be really stupid about stuff.
JB: Oh God yes!
HO: It doesn’t mean that just because you’re in touch with your feelings that everything is okay. I think that was kind of fun to play. Me and Davin both have loads of issues, still. Even though we’re both comfortable, in touch with stuff, we’re still idiots about a lot of things. Which is exactly like real life.
PM: And that, really, is the arc of the story — that these two modern men are engaged in a locking of horns. The same as two old school guys would be doing, in a very different way. But their cultural competitiveness is playing out a deeper unspoken argument. Their words and irony are their weapons.
HO: Yeah.
PM: And the deeper they go into the woods, the more they’re stripped of all their accoutrements. The more pared back the music gets, and the more naked they get, the less value their words have to them. They can’t protect themselves anymore.
HO: Your contact lens falls out!
PM: This guy needs to punch Davin. That’s what needs to happen in the story. That’s when he becomes connected to exactly how he feels.
JB: And Davin, most importantly, needs to tell him that he was so cut up at the time when [he and Ruth, Finoon’s fiancée, played by Amy Huberman] broke up, he felt so vulnerable that the last person he could turn to was his best friend.
PM: Sometimes you don’t turn to the people who are closest to you in those situations, because it reflects you so nakedly.
[Hugh feigns crying, the other two laugh]
JB: That window is shut!
HO: It can be opened!
JB: We just look over and Hugh’s gone.
[Laughter continues]
JB: All we see is that lavenir jacket just kind of fluttering…
PM: Fluttering in the wind! And we hear from the street, very distantly, “Oh my God!”
JB: It’s Finoon!
PM: It’s Finoon!
JB: Can he fly? No.
That’s all in the sequel.
[“Yeah”s all around]
Arrow Film Distributors via Everett Collection
But that actually reminds me — even though there’s a lot of comedy in this movie, it doesn’t get as broad, even in its funnier moments, than a lot of other comedies in this genre. When you guys destroy the memorial, no policemen come and throw you in jail. Or when you take MDMA, you go for a little run, but nobody freaks out and jumps off a bridge or anything like that. I guess I was wondering if there was a specific drive to keep the comedy grounded, or if this is just the style of humor that you guys find funny?
JB: I think that’s a conscious instinct. Particularly in terms of direction, that’s a very conscious decision. At the writing stage, it’s very conscious, too — you have to root the story, and once you commit to that, you have to sacrifice the idea of a sufficiently bigger joke that might derail the tone of the film.
But then when you direct the film you have to police that tone, too. Make sure it’s rooted. There is a kind of world you have to create that’s consistent. I think when you try to write characters inside out in that way, that’s always what you’re going to end up with. The films that we love that we mentioned before, the comedy films that work best are the ones that have a consistent tone. Yeah, that’s definitely the approach.
PM: And also, the overriding policy all the way through is character development. What’s going to happen to these guys? What is going to happen to their relationships? That’s what the audience should be invested in. If you invest the audience in the fact that they’re going to have a laugh every three minutes, like a big laugh, and then you stop doing that, they’re going, “You started off as one film, and then you’re becoming another.”
Whereas you have to do that slowly with a film like this. So you get into a place where there aren’t any laughs for like five minutes, 10 minutes, in this film at one stage. Well, maybe five minutes, whatever. For that to work, the audience has to be… you have to hook them in on the character development. If you put in gags that step outside of the character development, you might get a laugh out of them, but there’s no going back. You’ve already cheated the reality of the world that John is creating as a director.
JB: And it’s an American common tradition that we’re working in. That’s the thing that we totally respect and acknowledge as people who watch films. Since it’s an American tradition, the best comedy films come from that tradition.
PM: Yeah, yeah.
JB: Those are the rules of the genre. I think if there’s any little reinvention or anything that’s going on in our film, I think it’s subtle.
PM: I think there are English examples, like Withnail [and I], which is such a brilliant film. There are films like that in the British comedy tradition as well. And that is a shining example of British comedy at work, because it’s such a funny film but it’s about two guys going to a cottage in the middle of nowhere. Two actors who are broke, going to a cottage and having an encounter with the gay uncle. And it’s all dialogue-driven.
But the whole thing about that film is that you get so invested in their relationship and their friendship that the end of the film is actually a very downbeat ending because it’s so sad. [Bruce Robinson] is a great writer. It’s a pity he hasn’t made more films in the last few years. But you can just tell when there’s a gag there that’s there for getting a gag.
HO: We had some in there.
PM: We did. We got rid of them. And also, when you’re working with good actors, right off the bat they’ll go, “Why is he doing this?” if that’s happening. Do you know what I mean? If they’re being rigorous in how they’re approaching the part…
HO: I said that a lot. “Why is this happening?”
[Laughter]
I did want to ask you, Hugh, about that. Finoon is a tricky character. He’s a very serious person, but he’s a funny character. I would like to hear about making this serious, straight-laced guy fun to watch.
HO: Obviously, the guys had thought about it a lot beforehand, so they knew what to do with it. Like I said before, I was pretty much just being myself. [Laughs] And let that ridiculousness come through. I could sort of see his points on all sides. I think you can never really judge… if you start judging the character you’re playing, it’s a really bad thing. You have to just go with what he’s experiencing.
I think he’s right about everything. If you don’t control the flowers… I can’t trust [the wedding planner]. What has she done before, exactly? Give me a list! This is important to me. This is how it works. I’m stupidly anal about things like that myself. In terms of what you’re interested, in you’re really controlling. So he needs to get out of that a bit.
PM: That’s so true. Finoon and all the characters are written from a place of absolute empathy. We’re on the ground floor with them. There’s no standing in judgment over them. They’re us.
Probably the only part where there’s any judgment cast is when Brian Gleeson’s character Simon admits he doesn’t like U2.
JB: Yes!
You get the feeling you’re saying, “Well, you should like U2!”
[Laughter]
PM: But loads of Irish guys don’t like U2.
Oh of course.
JB: But he cries at the end [during “One Love”].
PM: So he’s a liar!
[Laughter continues]
Speaking of that, there are a lot of specific references to Ireland and Irish pride, mostly from the Machine. Were those just sort of ways to play with the character, or does this movie say something specific about Irish culture?
JB: I think the idea in place, that’s the Machine’s expression of his national pride rather than our expression of our national pride. It all emerges through these characters. The Machine makes the decision to make that speech about the state of the nation, and to sing that song. He’s the kind of person who — Peter could probably say this better than me — if he’s given the mic at a wedding, he’s not going to not do that. And that’s a decision that the character makes. And you’re just holding the pen. That’s what he does.
PM: The thing about the Machine, and we said this very early on when we started writing the film, is that he has absolutely no ego. [The others] are all totally weighed down by their egos. And that’s why there has been such a problem in their friendship, because they haven’t been able to be honest with each other.
An ego in that... I’m saying something to you right now and I’ll be editing it. Sometimes you might edit: “Well, I can’t say that. He might think that I’m a bit of a dick if I say that.” Whatever. You’re protecting people’s perception of you. That’s ego. The Machine, he’s just one of those people where that doesn’t even enter into his head. He’s just raw product all the time. And it’s just coming out.
The thing about that character is, while he’s incredibly overbearing, and very funny to start with — actually, when he arrives in the film, he’s a total nightmare — but it’s so liberating to be like that as a person. Because you’re not going around going, “Did he think when I said that…” or “Maybe I shouldn’t have…” He’s just moving forward in life all the time. So at the end, when he expresses national pride, it’s totally uncomplicated for him.
And his view of Ireland is that the thing that matters in a country, which is probably what we all feel, is the people. And that’s obviously a very democratic notion, and all that. But because — and I can only speak for myself here — we had a lot of economic troubles recently, like a lot of the world. America is going through terrible problems at the moment. But for a small country like Ireland that doesn’t have great natural resources, our greatest product or resource is the people of the country. I think there’s a little bit of that in there, as well.
JB: A young country as well. A hundred years old.
PM: Yeah, yeah. I mean, it’s an ancient culture, but as a democratic state it’s a very young country. We’ve only had the reins for a hundred years. And I think because of all of our history being colonized, the power the church had — all those kinds of things — pride and shame are two of the strongest ingredients in our national psyche. But they can be very divisive.
JB: We’re proud of ourselves and we’re ashamed of Hugh.
PM: Exactly. We’re proud of ourselves, but then we almost don’t want each other to succeed.
HO: [John] keeps staring at me.
PM: But it’s so liberating for a character like the Machine. That’s irrelevant to him. It’s just a positive message that comes out of him. And it’s not weighed down by those larger psychological chains that we wear in general. Over the last hundred years. So that was unconscious on our part, but I only say that looking back on the film. Does that make sense?
HO: You’re going to have an essay.
PM: Yeah! I’ve just given you a big hunk of bulls**t.
[Laughter]
PM: And also, it’s the Machine. It’s a character talking.
Well, I got the wrap up signal…
JB: Did you? That s**t is subtle!
…so the final question I need to ask is: Do you guys have an idea of why he is called the Machine?
JB: Yes.
But you won’t tell me, I take it.
PM: It’s up to the viewer.
JB: It goes to the grave.
PM: Yeah, it goes to the grave. Absolutely.
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The State alum Ken Marino has just been cast in David Caspe's new NBC pilot Marry Me. The project will follow Jake and Annie, a newly engaged couple coping with the challenges of commitment. Marino will star opposite Casey Wilson, who also appeared in Caspe's previous show, Happy Endings. Marino's casting had us wonding what happened to the rest of the funny people that made up The State. It turns out that they've all stayed relatively busy.
Even though The State only ran on MTV for two short years and 26 episodes, that was long enough for the series to create a splash big enough to soak every inch of modern sketch comedy with its influence, and the cast has since traveled to the far reaches of the comedy world. Even after the end of the MTV sketch show, much of the original cast have worked together quite frequently, including the 2001 film Wet Hot American Summer, Reno 911!, and Stella. So what is the cast of The State up to these days?
Ken MarinoBesides his newest show with Caspe, Marino is appearing in the medical drama satire Childrens Hospital along with fellow The State cast member David Wain and lends his voice to the animated comedy Axe Cop. Additionally, Marino has recently concluded his Bachelor parody web series, Burning Love. The actor will reprise his Vinnie Van Lowe role in the upcoming Veronica Mars movie
Michael ShowalterSchowalter recently released the comedy book Guys Can Be Cat Ladies Too, and is currently writing for Rebel Wilson's ABC sitcom Super Fun Night.
David WainSince The State, Wain's career has taken off as a director. His latest film, They Came Together, starring Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd, just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben GarantLennon and Garant still work together, primarily behind camera, writing the Night at the Museum movies and last year's horror comedy Hell Baby. Lennon also stars on the NBC sitcom Sean Saves the World, and will (oddly) appear in the upcoming Terence Malick movie Knight of Cups.
Kerri Kenney-SilverKenny-Silver will star in the upcoming Fox sitcom Us &amp; Them and the animated comedy Hell &amp; Back.
Kevin AllisonAllison hosts the weekly podcast RISK! which focuses on storytelling and comedy.Todd HoloubekWe have no idea.
Joe Lo TruglioYou've seen him in a few Seth Rogen films, and Lo Truglio is presently one of Golden Globe winner Brooklyn Nine-Nine's long array of breakout stars (policeman/foodie Charles Boyle).
Michael Ian BlackBlack has been busy. The I Love the '80s vet is developing his own Adult Swim series, a self-help satire titled You're Whole, and will appear in Wain's They Came Together, the aforementioned sitcom Us &amp; Them, and a developing platform for comedian Jim Gaffigan.
Michael Patrick JannJann is almost exclusively a director now, helming episodes of Community, The Michael J. Fox Show, The Crazy Ones, The Goldbergs, upcoming sitcoms Us &amp; Them and Growing Up Fisher, and the developing comedy film Mantivities, which will star Chris Pine.
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The 13 remaining ladies head to Seoul, South Korea – home of “gangnam style” if you need a cultural touch point. Clare is nervous because she doesn’t own a kimono (wrong country, ace) and the other girls are just pleased as pie.Group Date 1: Dirty PopThe date card reads “pop” so the girls get to speculating. Are they “making popcorn?” “Chewing bubble gum?” Oy. Chelsie, Cassandra, Elise, Danielle, Kat and Nikki are taught some serious k-pop moves (get it now?) by “21,” a girl group as hot as the Spice Girls, according to Juan Pablo's timely reference. Outfitted in their best Harajuku fashions, the ladies perform with the group at a MALL! The girls hate on Kat Daddy cause she busts the best moves. At the after-party, Nikki is the next to go pop. “You can’t get what you want by being fake,” she remarks about one of the blondes. Clearly she’s never watched this show before. Then Kat jumps up a few ranks when she tells Juan Pablo that her father was an alcoholic who never paid child support which is Latin music to his ears. Later, Elise breaks the cardinal Bachelor rule by squealing to Pabs about how Nikki will be an unfit mother. Silly little rat. You just signed your death certificate. Even so, JP does ask Nikki how she feels about kids. Her response? “I’m great at changing diapers!” And that ladies and gentleman gets her the group date rose.The Date with Sharleen a.k.a Juan Pablo’s favorite (seriously, he said that):The two embark on your classic foreign market escapade. The one where she wears her coolest high-waisted shorts with tights and together they mock the local culture while pointing out all the icky indigenous foods. “I would absolutely love to fall in love, but I don’t know if he’s the one for me,” she contemplates while eyeing a pig snout.Next they’re on to a tea house where Sharleen whispers sweet nothings to Juan Pablo like “you’re not bland.” And finally, the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Miss “I don’t want the early stages of my relationship to have anything to do with the fact that I’m an opera singer” belts for her supper. After the awkward serenade, the dominatrix and the out-of-shape soccer star make out. “We have so much in common,” he says. I guess he means because she once lived in Germany and he can barely speak English? Here’s one thing they don’t agree on: Sharleen has no interest in kids. She gets a rose anyway for her “honesty” (read: Juan Pablo wants to have lots of “classy” sex with her).The Worst Group Date Ever:The outing kicks off with some sober karaoke in what appears to be a Victorian doll house, followed by a trip to a “spa” where the ladies plunge their feet into a bath of fish hungry for their dead skin cells. Next up, the women are force-fed fried octopus. Clare freaks out beause she's obviously never been to an Italian resturant before. “I know she's swallowed bigger things than that," Kelly says. I have no idea what that means but I’m pretty sure it’s about boy parts. At the cocktail party, Juan Pablo becomes a born-again kissing virgin. Though he’s smooched six chicks, he decided that kissing a 7th would set a bad example for his daughter (she’s really good at math). He rejects Rene (who is a consummate pro) and Lauren (who loses it). He does however kiss Clare, after shoving a cookie in her mouth because “she’s hot, her teeth ... her lips” (his words, not mine). Good on you, girl. Seconds after telling JP you threw up in your mouth and swallowed it back down, he’s still compelled to taste you. Why? Because she initiated the moratorium on kissing last week and girls who play hard to get are irresistible. Why don't any of these sensible girls seem to get that?The rose ceremony:Even the ever-so-dramatic Korean drums can’t save this episode from being the most boring to date. We conclude:Lauren is booted (no surprise) and so is Elise, because snitches gotta go.The Chosen Ones: Rene, Chelsie, Kelly, Danielle, Cassandra, Allison, Clare, and KatSee you in Nam!
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Here’s the burning question everyone wants an answer to, or maybe it’s just the people on my FB feed because all the men in my life love them some boys: Is Juan Pablo a homophobe? Well, that depends. Does calling gay people “more pervert in a sense” make you an idiot? Absolutely. Was it taken out of context? Probably not. He said that while he respects LGBT parents (point Juan Pablo), he doesn’t “think it’s a good example for kids who watch that on TV.” Right, because a man swapping spit with eight drunk girls a night makes such a great role model. Dimwitted comments aside, Juan Pabs could be onto something. Check out this brilliant satire of gay bachelordom from Jesse Tyler Ferguson and George Takei. Only, it’s okay for them to mock the situation because they’re actually in the tribe.
Juan Pablo, going forward, please restrict your interview topics to empanadas and soccer cleats.Now, let’s get back to that highly moral show.Cassandra’s Date: The One Where All Expenses Were Spared Just in case it didn’t click the four times she repeated it, this one-on-one was Cassandra’s first date since she was 18 (so, since her baby daddy). To celebrate the occasion, JP took her on land and sea in a sexed-up duck boat and then back to his house for a no-frills dinner. Guess she’s not worth an ice rink or a private concert. Over his “secret” pasta, she unveiled her dead mama drama. Lacking topics to chat about, JP gives her - the ex-pro dancer - a salsa lesson. Actually looks like she needed it. In the end, Juan Pablo, who was just about hitting puberty when young Cassie was born, rewards her the rose on behalf of her hotness.Group DateKelly, Renee, Sharleen, Danielle, Alli, Lauren, Andi, Christy, Lucy, and Nikki take to the turf so they can watch Juan Pablo be cute playing soccer. A ball whacks Sharleen in the head but she keeps playing because she’s a great sport. Or robot. Juan Pablo sucks face with Andi in a kitchen. Then he makes a mid-field picnic for Sharleen – victim of ball abuse – so all the pissed-off ladies can watch them have what appears to be the worst kiss in Bachelor history. Sharleen wonders why this process doesn’t feel “organic.” You want a normal date, Shar Shar? Get off the show. “I don’t feel secure in my connection with him. It both surprises and bothers me that I care as much as I do,” said the automaton. Nikki, one of the gals he hasn’t groped, gets the rose. The lesson? Keep your tongue in your mouth, ladies.Chelsie’s Date: Binge Eating and Bungee Jumping They force-feed each other fried cheese and then head to the nearest bridge. Chelsie has a panic attack, because a) why would you hurdle yourself off a perfectly good bridge and b) she just wolfed an empanada. “Do it for me,” he pleads, sweetly encouraging her to risk death for a cheap stunt. It works and off they plunge. He steals an upside down Spiderman kiss. Hopped up on adrenaline and a solid misattribution of arousal, she says, “Thanks for talking me off that ledge.” No, Chelsie. That’s not how that saying works. For dinner, she’s treated to a candlelit City Hall-scape and then yet another concert by a band no one has ever heard of.The Pool Party:In a deft move, Juan Pablo goes to the mansion early to cook the girls breakfast and peep them without makeup. As luck would have it, most of them looked adorable in their eye glasses, skank morning breath and “piyamas.” The chicas who were late to rise were warned that JP was in-house so they'd have time to apply foundation. That’s sisterhood. Instead of a proper cocktail party, the crew transitions to the pool for some day drinking. Sharleen gripes that she isn’t in her element. “My soul wants to be left alone.” Good grief, woman. More unappetizing fishy kisses follow.And the roses go to:Andi, Renee, Kelly, Sharleen (rocking a seriously unladylike boob window), Elise, Kat, Alison, Clare, Lauren, DanielleR.I.PNaked Lucy (I’ll actually miss her a smidge) and Christy, who I’ve never seen before.
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Now that some of the fat has been trimmed (no, I’m not being derogatory towards women), let the dating begin! The honor of Juan Pablo’s first ever one-on-one goes to Clare Bear, the hairdresser with the heart of gold. JP single-handedly (no, that’s not true) transforms L.A. into a Winter Wonderland complete with an ice skating rink so that he and Clare can flirt like toddlers followed by a very adult dip in the hot tub where she immediately opens up about her dead dad to score some extra bonding points. It’s a rule that every time the Bachelor is submerged in water, he has to kiss the girl nearest to him, so they proceed to smooch. Notably, there was no alcohol during this date – perhaps a first in Bachelor history, so the perceived chemistry was probably real. Does this mean Juan Pablo will be able to avoid the curse of the episode 7 weight gain? We’re looking at you, Sean. The date ends, like most Bachelor dates do with a surprise private concert by a band no one has ever heard of while fake snow falls on the dancing duo.Next up is a one-on-one with Kat who puts on her best chambray shirt for the occasion. She’s whisked away on a private plane. Where to, she muses. Paris? Miami? No, honey. You’re going to Utah for a made for TV rave. Yay! She changes out of her sexy denim into more suitable neon attire before joining masses of people who are all miraculously wearing the same light-up tracksuits. After dosing themselves with ecstasy, they join the 5K dance parade. She gets a rose. Duh. He’s hopped on goof balls. How else would you explain how much fun they're having waving around glow sticks?And now for the group date – every girl’s favorite (said no one on The Bachelor, ever).The theme: A photo shoot for “Models &amp; Mutts” – an organization that pairs pretty women with mangy dogs to raise awareness for shelters. The contestants are all given costumes to wear – with varying range of hellaciousness depending on how much the producers hate them.Highlights
- Elise, the first grade teacher who’s also the softest of the bunch (which is to say she’s still tiny by human standards) is tasked with wearing two pieces of cardboard which will expose her naughty bits. She very cleverly swaps with happy naked Lucy who’s given a giant fire hydrant costume (well played, producers). Lucy is a good sport. Score one for sisterhood!- Andi, the DA, is given but one piece of cardboard to wear. She has a mini meltdown. “I send people to prison for a living ... I’m not that kind of girl ...” (read: I feel bloated today). Juan convinces her to strip down in the least pervy way possible. What a great dad.- Kelly, who is a “dog lover” by trade is dressed like a big poop. Literally, poop: complete with bald cap and brown head to toe makeup. So violently unattractive that she must have done something awful to Chris Harrison. But her good attitude gets her the group date rose. See? It never pays to whine (Andi).At the after party, boring Cassandra (the 21 year-old dancer/makeup artist) tells Juan Pablo she has a two-year old son (you do the math) so now she’s guaranteed to get a rose. Way to bury the lead, Cassie. “That’s a good surprise!” JP says with a face filled with genuine glee, making my ovaries hurt. Victoria drinks too much flat champagne and whips out this gem (it’s best if read slurred): “If Juan Pablo happens to be mine, I’m going to straddle him every day because that’s what life is about, straddling and things...” Classy. She locks herself in a bathroom sobbing because she hasn’t had any alone time with the guy she wants to hump. Renee (Den Mother of the year), slides under the stall door to very sweetly console. Not sanitary or helpful. Juan Pablo -- a veteran in the shutting down little girl tantrums department -- tries next but gets cussed out. Victoria is sent to the nearest Holiday Inn where she can’t be a bad influence on the other impressionable young ladies. Juan Pablo, as usual, is a perfect gentleman about the situation. He kindly executes her the next day in her hotel room. Conclusion: highly emotional drunks are unfit mothers and suitors for sober guys. Then comes the rose ceremony.No real surprises here. The curly haired girl flat irons her hair so she gets to stay. Cassandra’s a mom now so she’s sacrificed. Sharleen is still a b-word but she's "elegant" so gets a pass. Time's up for the only woman of color and Amy is let go after she "interviews" Juan Pablo in a campy, cringe-worthy news anchor routine. Men don't like performance art, missy. When will these women learn?Still high on our power rankings: Clare, Nikki, Andi, ReneeSee ya next week! Until then, cover up and drink in moderation.
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Synopsis

Former contestants from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette discuss what has happened in their lives since they were on the show. The special features the most recent Bachelorette, DeAnna, with her fiance Jesse meeting Trista and Ryan Sutter at their home in Colorado.